It took him a few more breaths to respond. And when he did, it blew my mind.
“What can I have?” he whispered back.
In that most unexpected moment, my foolish, adult teenaged heart cracked open and made room for Fisher Mann. And I immediately wondered how long it took to fall in love.
Years?
Weeks?
Seconds?
Did common sense and timelines rule emotions?
“What do you want?” My words were weak when I wanted—more than anything—to sound brave.
Something so very tiny shifted along his face, like he was smiling without actually smiling. His right hand slid off the wall and cupped my jaw, his thumb teasing my bottom lip that trembled like the rest of me.
“A-are you g-going to kiss me?”
His lips pulled into a hint of amusement. “I was thinking about it.” Fisher’s patience killed me, completely slayed me. It was as if he had to solve the world’s problems in his head before he kissed me.
But I didn’t want to be a problem of the world. I wanted to be the girl—the woman—he kissed on a Monday night for no good reason. Not everything in life needed an explanation. Couldn’t we steal a few seconds, a kiss, without accountability?
“Will you be done thinking about it anytime soo—”
Fisher kissed me.
It wasn’t hard or rushed. It didn’t make me feel inexperienced. And it didn’t feel wrong.
After a few seconds, he pulled back an inch, maybe two. I sucked in a quick breath, and he kissed me again. It was just like the first kiss.
Perfect.
And just like the first one, he pulled back, but this time he smiled. My own smile came to life too, big and embarrassing.
Every imaginable “what-if” dominated my thoughts. What were we doing? Did those two kisses mean the world to me and nothing to him?
Seventy-two hours earlier, he’d been upstairs showing Teagan the house he built. And she loved it. She didn’t question his abilities with a “seriously” because she was too mature for that.
What was he doing kissing me?
“I’m going to shower and grab dinner. I’ll see you in the morning. Five-forty-five?”
I nodded, still wearing that impossibly huge smile.
He disappeared from my bedroom, his footsteps fading as he climbed the stairs.
Chapter Twelve
I didn’t sleep that night. I tried, but I couldn’t sleep after that kiss. Well, those two kisses. It took too long to figure out why he did it. And I never came up with a good explanation.
My trek around the house to the garage was the longest walk of my life. I couldn’t breathe. It was eerily similar to how I felt the previous night. Would he be different with me? Regretful? Act like it never happened? Kiss me again?
I crossed my fingers for the third kiss. Which was why I brushed twice, flossed, and rinsed with mouthwash for a full minute. Just as I rounded the corner to an empty driveway, my phone chimed.
Fisher: You’re with Hailey today. Had to go out of town to pick up some things.
Not even a “good morning.” No XO. And not a single emoji. Did he not know how to use emojis? It was the most emotionless, lackluster text ever. It wasn’t the text you sent someone you’d kissed.
I typed my reply a dozen times and erased all of them. My drafts contained words like “good morning” and emojis. Hearts and kisses. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe it was another cruel lesson.
Reese: OK
As heartbroken as I was to be just as emotionless, I felt a sense of pride and maybe even a sense of maturity for keeping it professional. When I got to the office with my burning tongue (a minute of swishing mouthwash was a lot), Hailey greeted me with her usual bubbly smile and a stack of things to sort through. I got the feeling nothing had been sorted until Fisher hired me.
“Is it the weekend yet? Why did Monday feel like the longest day ever? It should be Thursday not Tuesday.”
“Mondays aren’t always bad.” I shrugged, depositing my backpack on the floor and grabbing coffee.
“Are you …” She tilted her head. “Blushing?”
“No.” I dipped my chin and dove into the messy piles of papers.
“You are. Did you have a hot date last night? A Monday date?”
“No.” I laughed like it was ridiculous. “No date.”
“Okay then. I noticed you left the party early. But so did Bossman and his new girlfriend. She was all over him. I imagine he had quite the Friday night. Was he in a good mood yesterday morning?”
“Um …” I tried to sound as aloof as possible. “Yeah, he seemed fine.”
“Did he mention her? Is it serious? This time of year, I only get to see him for a few seconds a day, at the most. He’s always on the go and constantly running thirty minutes behind.”
“He didn’t mention her. I don’t think it’s serious, but I’m not really sure.”